UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; December 9, 2012 - Penn State All-American and co-captain Michael Mauti (Mandeville, La.) has been named the Most Valuable Player of the 2012 Nittany Lion football team.

Mauti was presented the Lions' Pride Outstanding Senior Player Award to highlight the State College Quarterback Club's annual banquet honoring the Nittany Lion football team. A crowd of nearly 1,000 packed the main ballroom at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel to honor 31 seniors and the 2012 squad.

The 31 seniors were instrumental in Coach Bill O'Brien's Penn State squad winning eight of its last 10 games after an 0-2 start and earning a 6-2 Big Ten record, capped by a 24-21 overtime win over eventual Big Ten champion Wisconsin on Nov. 24.

On Saturday, Mauti was selected an AT&T ESPN first-team All-American, giving Penn State 11 first-team All-Americans in the past eight years. The former Mandeville High School All-American was selected the Big Ten's 2012 Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year and earned first-team all-conference honors by the coaches and media.

A semifinalist for the Butkus Award, Mauti was the only Big Ten player ranked in the top 10 in the conference in tackles (7th, 96), interceptions (4th, 3) and forced fumbles (3rd, 3). He also led the Big Ten in interception return yards (125). Mauti had 4.0 TFL, 2.5 sacks (minus-25), three interceptions, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and two pass break-ups. He started the initial 11 games, suffering a knee injury in the first quarter vs. Indiana on Nov. 17 that ended his season.

In addition to the player awards (see below), former Nittany Lion All-America linebacker Jack Ham was presented the Alumni Athlete Award. Ham was instrumental in helping Penn State to a superlative 29-3 record from 1968-70, including a pair of 11-0 campaigns. A team co-captain in 1970, Ham earned first-team All-America honors before embarking on a professional career that would see Ham help the Pittsburgh Steelers to four Super Bowl Championships. Ham is the only Nittany Lion enshrined in the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame. He has been a member of the Penn State Sports Network's football broadcast team with Steve Jones since 2000.